--- description: The show's head judge is taking some much-deserved time off title: Dancing With the Stars Len Goodman to Leave DWTS image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt30176008a2577d61/69876d9e55a8593782a849e4/830-16x9.jpg?branch=production&width=1920&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Len Goodman Is Leaving _Dancing with the Stars_ by [Melissa Locker](/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 9, 2014 3:41 PM CUT  ABC by [Melissa Locker](/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 9, 2014 3:41 PM CUT Brace yourselves, dance fans: Len Goodman is leaving _Dancing with the Stars_. The beloved (if grumpy) head judge, who is the most senior member of the judiciary on _Dancing with the Stars_, told reporters that he will depart the show next year. Goodman, who is also a judge on the UK version of the popular dancing show, _Strictly Come Dancing_, has tired of schlepping back and forth between judges panels on both sides of the Atlantic. “Next year, I’m not going to do the flying backwards and forwards – I’m not going to do the American show… I’ve got to have a bit of time off,” [Goodman explained](http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/s92/dancingwiththestars/news/a614922/len-goodman-i-am-quitting-dancing-with-the-stars-next-year.html#~oXXhtYmXJDVm35#ixzz3LPQqkY6P%20 "undefined"). “I’ve got my wife, I’ve got my son, my mother is still alive and she’s in hospital – I’ve had virtually no time to go and visit her,” he said Monday. “So, I just need a bit of time off to get on with a normal life. And it was either _Strictly_ went or the American one went or the tour went. … I’m doing the spring one when I go out there … and that’s going to be my last one. _Dancing with the Stars_, next year is their 10th year … so I think that’s a nice place to stop.” American dancing fans will still be able to see Goodman when the show returns this spring, but then he will be taking a break from _DWTS_ while still serving on _Strictly Come Dancing_‘s panel. Goodman assured the world that fellow judge Bruno Tonioli will continue assessing paso dobles, cha chas and sambas on both _Dancing with the Stars_ and _Strictly Come Dancing_. To make up for the Len-shaped hole in the judges panel, last season the show brought former pro Julianne Hough back to the show as a judge. The former pro proved herself _almost_ as tetchy as the head judge, even when it came to judging her brother, Derek Hough. Still, the only appropriate replacement for Goodman is Grumpy Cat herself — [not that she needs the money](http://time.com/3623247/grumpy-cat/ "undefined"). ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3625067/dancing-with-the-stars-len-goodman/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3625067/dancing-with-the-stars-len-goodman/"},"headline":"Len Goodman Is Leaving Dancing with the Stars","datePublished":"2014-12-09T15:41:06.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T08:04:23.980Z","description":"The show's head judge is taking some much-deserved time off","url":"https://time.com/3625067/dancing-with-the-stars-len-goodman/","keywords":["Television","Dancing with the Stars","reality tv","DWTS"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt30176008a2577d61/69876d9e55a8593782a849e4/830-16x9.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Melissa Locker","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt30176008a2577d61/69876d9e55a8593782a849e4/830-16x9.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"830.16x9","caption":"","creditText":"ABC","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3625067/dancing-with-the-stars-len-goodman/","name":"Len Goodman Is Leaving Dancing with the Stars"}}]}] ```